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“Mabel.”
“I am not going to wake Frances up,” Mabel snapped at her husband. “This is highly unusual. Is there a problem, Wilhelmina? Has your coach broken down? I don’t believe we were expecting guests, or we would have arranged a bed chamber for you.”
“I didn’t realise I was going to put you out so badly,” Wilhelmina replied pertly.
“It is one o’clock in the morning,” Mabel bit out.
Sian edged closer and looked at her father, who was becoming furious given the florid hue to his cheeks, but not at Wilhelmina. He was livid at his wife.
“What my wife is trying to say is that you are more than welcome to stay with us. We will, of course, arrange for a bed chamber for you and your – friend,” Arthur offered smoothly, sliding a wary look at Cedrick who stood grinning arrogantly at them all from beside the front door.
“I should think so. Why, one would be inclined to believe that you don’t want me here, your own sister,” Wilhelmina huffed. She tugged fiercely on the cuffs of her dress and scowled heavily at Mabel when she sighed and shook her head in disgust. “Is there a problem?”
Mabel glared at her but didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to her husband.
“We have one spare bed chamber,” she warned him. “And two guests.”
“Well, Lucinda won’t mind moving in with the girls. She can share with them and Cedrick can have Lucinda’s room,” Arthur offered. “I am sure the girls won’t mind making the beds up. It won’t take Lucinda long to move her things out, will it?”
It was clear from his tone that he didn’t expect Lucinda to object, even though the girl was almost in tears.
“But father,” she protested.
“Go,” Arthur bit out, his placating tone vanishing instantly when he realised that Lucinda objected.
Sian glared at Wilhelmina. “Has your carriage broken down?”
“No. My house is no longer habitable.”
“How come?” Sian challenged.
Wilhelmina slid a look at Cedrick, who coughed and stepped forward. “There has been a fire, a house fire.”
“I beg your pardon?” Sian’s stomach fell to her toes. She stared at her aunt in disbelief. “Your house?”
“Good God,” Arthur cried in disbelief.
“Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain,” Wilhelmina snapped. “You know I don’t like it.”
Arthur’s mouth fell open. He barely registered his sister’s admonition. He moved closer to his wife and placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, but who he was trying to steady was beyond Sian. They both looked equally shaken.
“How badly? I mean, is it razed to the ground, or just smoke damaged? When did this happen?” Sian asked when neither her father nor mother seemed inclined to work their way past their shock to speak.
“This very evening is when it happened. The stupid maid forgot to put the guard in front of the fire. She was always doing it. I kept telling her to make sure it was put before the fire, but she didn’t. If I hadn’t been up with my gout, I would have been dead by now.” Wilhelmina blinked. “Of course, Cedrick, poor dear, helped get what things we could out of the house, but there isn’t much left. Just those bags.”
They all turned to look at the mountain of travelling trunks and boxes now piled up in the hallway.
“Your house was on fire, yet you managed to pack t
ravelling trunks?” Sian demanded with a suspicious scowl.
“Well, what was I supposed to do? Throw all of my possessions out of the window?” Wilhelmina challenged.
Sian opened her mouth to ask what happened to the maid when Arthur seemed to remember where he was. With a swiftly indrawn breath, he rubbed his hands together and looked at his daughters. “Well, seeing as my wife doesn’t see fit to summon our maid, I think you girls need to go and prepare the bed chambers.”
Mabel glared at her husband. “Might I have a word with you? Now, please.”
She marched into the study without a backward look, clearly expecting her husband to follow. Arthur stared blankly after her before he blinked at his daughters, none of whom hurried off to do as they were told.
